Canto di Natale di Topolino

Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)

**** (out of 4)

Disney kept Mickey Mouse off the big screen for nearly three decades but they certainly picked the right story to bring him back in. This wonderful adaptation of the classic story has Mickey playing Bob Cratchit, the poor worker whose boss Scrooge is about to get a lesson on treating people the right way. In my opinion this is Disney greatest moment and also one of the greatest shorts ever made. Even though the film only runs 20-minutes, there's enough heart and spirit to carry a dozen feature films. I've loved this movie since first seeing it as a child and I'm pretty sure I could watch this once a day and not tire of it. What amazes me most and always has is that the animators got all the right characters in the story being played by the right Disney character. Goofy as Marley, Willie the Giant and Jiminy Cricket as a couple of the ghosts, Donald Duck as the nephew and of course Mickey and Minnie. The entire story is a very familiar one but it's given so much life by these Disney characters that one really could argue that this is the very best version of the story, which has had several good adaptations over the past hundred years. I loved all the animation, the music and of course the ending is incredibly touching and funny.

Ebenezer Scrooge (Scrooge McDuck) is a miserly greedy duck. His clerk Bob Cratchit (Mickey Mouse) is overworked and underpaid. His nephew Fred (Donald Duck) invites him to Christmas dinner. He is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley (Goofy) who tells him about the approaching 3 spirits. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Jiminy Cricket) shows him the past and the origins of his miserable ways when he foreclose on Isabelle (Daisy Duck) for being an hour late rather than marrying her. The Ghost of Christmas Present (Willie the Giant) shows him the hardship faced by Bob Cratchit and his family. Then the Ghost of Christmas Future shows him the funeral of little Tiny Tim.

For such a short running time, this is a well made version of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'. It is snappy and quick. It's the essential highlights. It doesn't add anything new but it's done with great sincerity. It's a nice distillation of the original material that the kids will be able to follow.

Scrooge Mcduck ( voiced by Alan Young) is the most rotten richman in town, he's as sour as a grapefruit but has no feeling about others. He is haunted by his former partner Jacob Marley ( played by Goofy) and 3 spirits ( Jimminy Cricket, Willy The Giant from " Fun and Fancy Free" and Pete) show him about his past, present and future so he can change his ways.

A highly entertaining, well done and nicely drawn animated short. It's quite a memorable short, it's also shown on the made-for-video christmas movie " House of Mouse: It snowed at the House of Mouse".

10/10.

After seeing the impressing TV movie A Christmas Carol from Clive Donner with George C. Scott as Scrooge I wish Disney made their version into a full classic. With today's DTV releases there's a market for it. Because this version is so wonderful, Scrooge McDuck is Ebenezer Scrooge and Mickey makes a fine Bob Cratchit. The spirits are good chooses casting Willie the Giant as Ghost of Christmas Present, Ghost of Christmas Past (Jiminy Cricket) and Pete as Ghost of Christmas Future

With animation by people as Mark Henn, Glen Keane, Randy Cartwright. It's my opinion that this short deserves a remake into a full DTV sequel.

One of the Christmas programs that I always used to watch as a child at that time of year was Disney and Mickey Mouse's version of Dicken's classic, 'A Christmas Carol'. Disney characters are cast into the parts of the characters in this famous story. Goofy plays the ghost, Mickey plays the under-payed business partner, Scrooge McDuck plays Scrooge, Daisy Duck plays the love interest, among the cast of other characters. Think of this short (probably 30-minute) cartoon as the ultimate children's story of 'A Christmas Carol'. I have very fond memories of watching this, and it made me feel all Christmasy and anxious for Christmas. I wish that they would continue to show this and other Christmas programmes on the television nowdays. :( I remember the fear of seeing Scrooge almost cast into the never-ending grave, and the happiness when he learns the real spirit of Christmas. It really is a special Christmas film.